It has been a couple of weeks since I posted a recipe. I hate when this happens; it is so hard to get back on track again! Well, since Mother’s day is coming up and I take this opportunity to get over the inertia and post something to celebrate that occasion.

What better way to do it than post a recipe that always reminds me of her?

She is a pro at making Mysore rasam, a lentil soup that is made with freshly ground spices. She would make this on weekends and we would always look forward to savoring it.

Rasam/ Ras is the Sanskrit word for extract or juice. We south Indians make different varieties of dilute lentil soups that go well with rice in a main course. Or these soups can just be enjoyed by themselves.

The recipe involves 3 main steps:

1. Spices that are used are roasted and ground using a dry spice grinder. I usually make a batch that lasts me a few weeks and can make multiple preparations of rasam.

2. The lentil or toor dal that is used has to be cooked well in a pressure cooker to a paste consistency.

3. The rasam itself is made by first boiling and then simmering mixture of tamarind extract, tomato, the spice mix and a DILUTE solution of the cooked lentils.

Love it! Not only do I enjoy learning about dishes made in other cultures that I should certainly try myself, but I love that this is one of your mum’s recipes. And, it looks delicious as always. Happy FF, and have a fabulous weekend!